Transposing attachment for pianofortes.



L. A. GOSS.

TRANSPOSING ATTACHMENT FOR PIANOFGRTES.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 8, 1911.

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L. A. GOSS.

TRANSPOSING ATTACHMENT FOR PIANOPORTES.

APPLICATION FILED .nnnza, 1911.

1,107,783. Patented Aug. 18, 19M

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A TTORIIEY L 'r uzuonms PETERS cm, PHOTO'LITMQ, wasumcmn, 01 a a subjectof His Majesty LOUIS ALLAN GOSS, OF CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND.

TRANSPOSING ATTACHMENT FOR PIANOFORTES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 18, 1914.

Application filed June 8, 1911. Serial No. 631,928.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that .1, Louis ALLAN Goes,

the King of England, residing at Brookside, Cambridge, in the county ofCambridge, Kingdom of England, have invented a cert-ainnew and usefulImproved Trans osing Attachment for Pianofortes, of whic the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for use in connection with pianosand other similar key instruments, the purpose of which is to provide adevice of such construction that music may be played on the instrumentin a higher or lower key than that in which the copy played is printedor written.

My invention is of the type in which transposition is effected byshifting a supplemental keyboard relatively, to the keyboard of theinstrument on which it is. placed. Various forms of such apparatus haveheretofore been proposed. It is necessary that some interposed system ofleveling-up devices be arranged between the supplementary' keyboard onwhich the performer plays and the keyboard of an instrument itself, in'order that the supplemental keyboard may be capable of lateral Imovement through one or more semi-tones according to the transpositionrequired.

This has been effected in some cases by introducing a completeintermediate set of keys, of which those which rest on the white keysare made of greater height than those that rest on the black ones sothat an uniform level is obtained on which the operative supplementalkeyboardrests. It has also been proposed to employ a set of leveling-upkeys for use with the white keys only, bringing their level upv to thatof the black keys. In that case some of the keys of the supplementarykeyboard rest directly upon the black keys of the instrument, and othersupon the leveling-up keys.

It is the primary object of my invention to provide a simplified deviceby which the desired results are satisfactorily accomplished, and alsoto provide a device of this character which may be readily applied toany piano of the ordinary well known construction, and which may beeasily adiusted to, and securely held inthe several different keys ofthe instrument.

A further objectof my invention is to provide atransposing apparatusemploying a supplemental keyboard constructed and applied to a piano insuch manner that the touch or technique of the performer will not beaffected to any material extent by the em loyment of such agency.

ther objects will appear hereinafter.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification: Figure l is afragmentary plan view'of a piano keyboard showing my invention applied.Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken substantially upon the line w-a: ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 illustrating a modified formof my invention. Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken upon the line y-yof Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a view taken approximately upon the line 22 of Fig.3 and in which is illustrated means by which the supplemental keyboardmay be adjusted relative to the piano, and, Fig. 6 is a view similartoFig. 5 taken upon the line H of Fig. 1. p

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, 1 represents generallythe body portion of a piano provided with a standard keyboard 2,composed of the black and white keys 3 and 4 respectively, whichkeyboard is positioned between the end blocks 5 of the piano. The pianokeyboard and other parts of the piano proper, forming no part of myinvention and being illustrated merely for the purpose ofshowing themanner in which my invention is used, are of theordinary well knownconstruction.

The preferred form of my improved transposing apparatus comprises anauxiliary or second keyboard mounted above the standard keyboard andarranged-tooverlie the same and, for the purpose of making the saidauxiliary keyboard adaptable to the ordinary piano, I provide a frame 6,rectangular in shape and of a length to fit between the end blocks of astandard piano. This frame 6 consists of narrow back and front members 7and 8, which are connected at their ends by the side members 9. The backmember 7 is designed to lie close to the piano front at the inner endsof the keys, and behind theblack keys of the standard keyboard, whilethe frontmember 8 is spaced forwardly therefrom a distance suitable toextend beyond the forward edge of the standard keys and to rest upon thelock bar of thepiano. The end members 9 as already stated, extend beyondthe standard keyboard and are. supported by the end blocks of the piano.It will! obvious that this frame when positioned upon the piano will besecurely held in such position by virtue of the engagement of the backmembers 7 behind the black keys of the standard'keyboard.

The supplemental or auxiliary keyboard is designed tobe adjustablymounted within the frame 6, and to this end I provide an inner frame 10,within which the supplemental keyboard is positioned. This inner frameconsists of back and front members 11 and 12, being spaced apart by theend members 13 sufliciently to fit within the frame 6. This inner frame,being adapted to move longitudinally of the keyboard, is thereforenecessarily shorter than the frame 6. The inner or for ard face of theframe members 7 is provided with a pair of longitudinally disposedgrooves or recesses 14, one arranged adjacent each end, and within eachof which is located a horizontal bearing bar At each end of the innerframe 10, and secured to extend rearwardly from the bottom thereof isahinge member 16, which hinge members are designed to project into therecesses 14; upon the frame 6, to slidably and hingedly engage thebearing bars 15. The hinge members 16, as clearly shownin Fig. 6, areformed preferably of strap metal, and pivoted upon the auxiliary frameat 16 the outer or projecting portion being provided with an aperture16* for engagement v' the bearing bar 15, while the other extremity isprovided with an arcuate slot 16 through which projects a set screw 16for purposes of adjustment. The forward or free ends of the inner frameare provided with locking members 17, which extend lee-- yond the innerframe and downwardly to engage spaced notches 18 in the upper surface ofthe forward end 8 of the frame 10,

By this arrangement of the inner frame relative to the mainframe 6, itwill be obvious that the inner frame, after being raised upon its hinges16 a height sufficient to disengage the locking members 17 from thenotches 18, is capable of being moved in either direction longitudinallyof the main frame, being limited in such movement by the length of thebearing bars 15.

The second or auxiliary keyboard 19, consisting of a plurality of lackand white keys 20 and 21 respectively, is arranged within the innerframe 10 to overlie the standard keyboard 2, and is spaced slightlythereabove. Each of the keys of the secondary keyboard is designed to beoperated in the same manner as the standard keys, and to this end isconnected upon its under surface to the back bar 11 of the inner frameby a fiat spring 99 The rear end of each key, upon the under side, ischamfered at 23, so that the screw 24, connecting the spring below thesaid chamfered portion, will permit of vertical adjustment of thesupplemental or transposing keys.

E it Oh are key has screwed upon the under surface, at a pointsubstantially midway of the ends, a downwardly-projectinmovement-transmitting member Fi l, for inparting movement to theunderlying key of the standard keyboard, and projects below the key adistance even witl the upper edge of the black key of the standardkeyboard.

As the white keys of the standard keyboard 2 are in a plane lower thanthat of the black keys, the members 24c will not sutlice to directlycontact these keys; and for the purpose of imparting motion or stroke tothe white keys also, I provide for each of said keys at a point directlybelow the members 2 1 of the overlying keyboard, a level block or pad25. Each of these members is preferably composed of some nonabrasivesubstance such as rubber, felt or the like, but may be also constructedof wood or such other material as may be desired, provided withresilient noiseless covering. Each of the leveling pads are secured uponone end of a spring member 26, the opposite end of which is firmlyattached to the bar 7 of the main frame 6. Thus each of the white keysof the standard keyboard is provided with means whereby movement isimparted thereto by do ression of the overlying keys, and upon releaseof the said overlying keys, the leveling pads or blocks will assumenormal position through the resiliency of the spring member 26. It willbe obvious from this arrangement that, when desirous of changing the keyof the instrument, the supplementary or transposing keyboard may bereadily moved within the main or stationary frame to a higher or lowerpitch as desired, and that playing may be resumed upon the transposingkeyboard in the key most familiar to the performer, while in reality thewhole tone has been changed.

The modified form of my invention, illustrated fully in Figs. 3, a and 5of the drawings, while embodying substantially the same arrangement asthe form above described, shows the transposing apparatus applied to theinstrument in somewhat different manner. in this form of my invention Idispense entirely with the back memher 7 of the main frame, the modifiedframe comprising a front member 8, being provided at each extremity withinwardly pro jecting side members 9. Upon reference to the d awings itwill be seen that this front member 8 is adapted to be supported by thelock bar of the piano in the same manner as the preferred form, and thisframe is of suflicient width to permit the side members 9 to rest uponthe end bloc. cs 5 of the piano, and to fit snugly within the endmembers. As the back member of the main frame in this form of myinvention is dispensed with, I attach the leveling blocks or pads 25 tothe front bar 8 of the frame by means of the spring members 26.- Theinner or transposing frame 10' is three-sided, having a back bar ormember 11, and end members 13 extending forwardly from the extremitiesthereof. Secured to the inner. or back end of the end member 13 andextending rearwardly therefrom, are members 27, for attaching thetransposing frame to the piano. These members, which are similar to themembers 16 above described, are pivotally secured to the frame at 28,being provided at their inner ends with an arcuate slot 29 through whichextends an adjusting screw 30. The opposite ends formed with a hookportion 31, adapted to engage over slide bars 32 attached to andextending longitudinally of the front of the piano to allow for thetransposition of the supplemental keyboard. By this arrangement theauxiliary keyboard may be moved in either direction up and downth'estandard keyboard, and the transposing keyboard may be readilydisengaged from the instrument.

In attaching the device to pianos of various designs or makes, it may benecessary, owing to differences in the height of the keys or end blocksof the piano to raise or lower the rear edge of the auxiliary keyboardto compensate for such differences and to level the keys; and it will beobvious that such minor adjustments may be readily and accurately madethrough the adjustability of the members 16 and 27, as clearlyillustrated in Figs. 5 and 6.

It will be obvious from the foregoing description taken in connectionwith the drawings that a device so constructed and simplified may beeasily and quickly attached and detached to and from an instrument, theadvantage of which feature is readily understood. It is also obviousthat the arrangement of securing the transposing keys to the inner frameby means of the springs, also the same method of connecting the levelingpads or blocks to the main frame, allows the said transposing keys andleveling blocks to assume normal orinoperative positions automaticallyuponrelease of the transposing keys, and therefore does not subject thestandard keys and the piano mechanism connected therewith to anyadditional weight or pressure in assuming normal position. The purposeof this arrangement is to preserve the normal touch of the piano andkeys, the mechanism responding at once to the touch of the performer andreturning to normal position immediately upon release, without impairingor affecting the natural movement of the elements.

While I have illustrated in the drawings and described in thespecification briefly the preferred embodiment of my device, I wish inthis form of my device of saidmembers are each it to be understood thatI need not necessarily. restrict myself to such particular form but'thatminor changes in the construction and arrangement of the parts may bemade as will fall fairly within the scope of my claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a transposing device for pianos, a horizontal support, a frame, anauxiliary keyboard on said frame, hinge members pivotally connected tosaid frame and slidably mounted upon said support whereby said frame maybe adjusted relative to said support, and means for securing said framein adjusted position, substantially as described.

2. In a transposing device for pianos, a horizontal support, a frame, anauxiliary keyboard on said frame, hinge members pivoted at their medialportions to said frame, means provided at one end of said members forslidably engaging said support, the op: posite end of each of saidmembers being provided with an arcuate slot, and screws secured to saidframe and projecting through said slots whereby-said framemay be held inits adjusted positions, substantially as de scribed. I

' 3. In a device of the class described, a main frame adapted to restupon the case of a piano adjacent the key board thereof, a plurality ofsprings fixed to extend from said frame longitudinally of and above thewhite keys of said key board, each of said springs being provided with apad adapted to rest upon said white keys and having its upper face inthe same plane with the upper faces of the black keys of the piano keyboard; in combination with an auxiliary frame, means for adjustablysupportin said auxiliary frame within said main rame, an auxiliary keyboard on said auxiliary frame comprising a plurality of depressiblekeys, spring members connecting said depressible keys with saidauxiliary frame, the keys of said auxiliary key board cooperating withthe blackkeys of the piano key board and with said pads, and cooperatingmeans on said frames for locking said auxiliary frame in adjustedpositions, substantially as described.

4. In combination with a piano key board having keys of differentheights, a main frame adapted to rest upon the case of a piano, aspring-mounted leveling pad arranged above each of the lowermost keys ofsaid piano keyboard with its lower face resting upon its respective keyand its upper face being in the same plane with the upper faces of thehigher keys; an auxiliary frame, means for adjustably supporting saidauxiliary frame within said main frame, an auxiliary keyboard on saidauxiliary frame comprising a plurality of depressible keys,

said support, and cooperating means upon said hinge members and saidfirame whereby the latter may be adjusted vertically, substantially asdescribed.

6. A transposing device comprising a frame detachably secured over thekeyboard oi a piano, a second frame mounted within said frame to belongitudinally adjustable therein, a plurality of depressible keys insaid second frame-and means for establishing connection between saiddepressible keys and the keys of the piano, and means for adjusting saidsecond frame vertically within said first mentioned frame, substantiallyas described.

'7'. A. transposing device comprising a frame detachably secured overthe key-board of a piano, a second frame provided with de pressible keysadapted to be slidably arranged within said first mentioned frame, meansupon said main frame for establishing connection between saiddepressible keys and the keys of the piano, hinge members connectingsaid second frame with said first mentioned rame, and means upon saidsecond frame for adjusting said hinge members, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses this 26th day of May 1911.

i LOUIS ALLAN GOSS.

lVitnesses J. S. Wrrnnns, T. BnAnnY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

- Washington, D. G.

